Ben Bargwanna has secured a full-season drive in the 2020 TCR Australia series, where he will line up alongside his father Jason in a Peugeot 308 run by Garry Rogers Motorsport.
Jason Bargwanna had already confirmed his participation in this year’s championship, whilst Ben was previously confirmed only for racing alongside his father at the 500 km endurance Bathurst International race.
The duo will thus become the first father-and-son driver combination in the short history of the TCR Australia series.
Both racers have already completed detailed pre-season testing in preparation for the delayed start to the season caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had set out at the start of the year with a clear and structured plan with defined goals for both Ben and I, then 2020 slapped us in the face and forced a total rethink,” explained Jason Bargwanna.
“Initially Ben and I were going to team up for the Bathurst international in the two driver event but those plans have changed and ours had to as well.
“We have worked closely with Burson Auto Parts and together we have aligned our goals and I am very excited to expand to a two car program for the remainder of 2020.
“Ben now makes the step to TCR and I am so proud of him. From his first Kart race meeting at Gippsland Kart Club, as a 10 year old, when he spent every lap of his first race waving to mum and I as he drove past, to the day the penny dropped and he realised what winning was all about, to watching him drive out of pit lane in the Burson Auto Parts Peugeot at the pre-season test, really was a lump in the throat moment.
“He has grown into a great young man – he clearly got that from his mother!
“It is surreal to think that together we will head out and tackle the top quality TCR Australia field. I guess the saying about the first person you want to beat is your teammate now takes on a whole new and deeply personal meaning!
“He is the one driver I would be proud to finish in second place to.”
Ben Bargwanna admitted that his 2020 season has already had some ups and downs, as he was originally supposed to compete in the Formula Ford Championship before partnering with his father for the endurance event.
“It is just awesome to be a part of the Burson Auto Parts Racing Team,” said Ben. “I am so hungry for this that it hurts and driving the car for the first time in testing was an amazing experience.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow when my Formula Ford Championship plans were disrupted by the pandemic, but I decided to stay focused, positive and to work hard on the things that I could control.
“I have really enjoyed driving for the team in the E-Racing Sim world, I am fit and ready and now can’t wait for the real world racing to start.
“I make no assumptions of the size of the challenge I am facing with this, but with the support of Garry Rogers Motorsport and Burson Auto Parts, I will work harder than any driver in the field to make the most out of this fantastic opportunity.
“The first goal is to make the top then, then to make the top five and race for the podium. I am focused on doing whatever it takes to win, including beating the old man!
“Not only is this a great opportunity to be part of the TCR Australia field, but it is also an amazing opportunity to be racing with my Dad.
“He has been there for every step of my racing and for him to be a part of this next huge step means a lot.
“Everything I have learnt so far has been from him, so to continue that next step of my learning with him can only generate further improvement.”